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On Monday evening, I attended Watsons’ Girls Day Out upon their kind invitation. The event was held at Serangoon NEX and let’s just say I didn’t go home empty-handed. The goodie bag I was given probably weighed more than 8kg, and like one of my Facebook fans noted from a picture I posted, it seemed to have one of everything from the Watsons catalogue, though that’s definitely an exaggeration. :)

Here are the top 5 highlights of Monday’s event. It’s probably one of the best events I’ve attended this year – lots of fun plus fantastic prizes:

1) Game Booths and Watsons prizes

The bloggers were all divided into groups, and each group leader decided which booth we would visit first.

For my group of 3 bloggers, the leader brought us to the ‘game booths’, which required some interaction and involved some prizes. Himalaya Herbals gave us a small gift bag for visiting their booth while the next booth (I think it was Pure Beauty’s) had us participate in a ‘matching’ game – to match the product ingredients with their stated benefits. That was fun!

And after that, divinia’s sales reps had us net as many plastic globes as possible in just one scoop from a big glass tank. If a plastic globe contained one of their product ingredients, e.g Ceramide, Olive Extract or Double Hyaluronic Acid, it’d be counted as 1 point. The blogger with the most points wins.

And for our efforts, we won things like the ‘Treats by Watsons’ gummy bears and gummy fizzy letters, and Watsons mini hankies you see above. I’m keeping the hankies and giving the sweets to my gummy-loving pal.

It was a really good start to the whole event. Though it ended past 10pm, and our feet were sore, everyone agreed it was most enjoyable. :)

The brand which wow-ed us most with their generosity was L’oreal. All we had to do was post a picture on Instagram about the L’oreal Revitalift Magic Blur product, and we’d get a Zalora $50 gift card instantly. That’s probably the easiest $50 I’ve ever earned!

This product “instantly blurs the look of pores, lines and imperfections” and retails at S$41.90 (50ml).

I’ll be reviewing this product soon. Because the gift bag is filled with so many goodies, I just didn’t know which product to start reviewing first. :D

3) Kinohitmitsu EyeBright and JointPro360

Kinohimitsu was yet another generous brand. When we visited their booth, we were given a bag with the two products you see above – EyeBright and JointPro360. We were also given a sachet of EyeBright to try on the spot. I would have thought that the ‘powder’ had to be mixed with water before consumption, but I was told to just eat it like I would a sweet. It tastes quite good too. And don’t hold your breath for a giveaway of these products; I definitely need EyeBright as my eyes are always tired from working on my laptop for too many hours every single day. Ha! And the JointPro360 goes to the future MIL. XD

EyeBright is retailing at S$59.90 (Introductory Offer right now: S$55.90)

JointPro360 is retailing at S$69.90 (Introductory Offer right now: S$65.90)

In the bottom right hand corner of the picture is a tiny bottle of bird’s nest from a brand I shall not name. We were given only this tiny 30ml bottle – how to review? It’s not even a mouthful, in my opinion. :D And *ahem* it costs S$95 for 6 small bottles in stores. Honestly, I don’t think it’s worth the price lah but you can check it out at Watsons and tell me what you think.

4) Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain and PhotoReady Airbrush Effect

At the Revlon booth, we were introduced to the Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain by means of a powerpoint presentation. We were also given snacks and an aloe vera drink. THEN… we were tested on whether we had paid attention to the presentation. LOL!

I’ve forgotten what the question was, but the answer was Aloe Vera and Vitamin E… and I won the gift set you see above (sans the lipstick, which came in the goodie bag). The set of Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Effect in the shades Ivory and Natural Ochre are encased in that camera-lookalike box. It is not for sale, but you can win it in my giveaway at the end of this blogpost! :D

*These new lipsticks provide immediate lip hydration and are available in 8 shades (S$20.90 each).

*PhotoReady Airbrush Effect is available in 5 shades and retails at S$30.90.

5) Watsons eStore and S$100 Shopping Cart Challenge

Watsons has once again proven that they understand the needs of their customers best. They know that crowded stores, long queues (!!!) and heavy shopping bags are some of our frustrations so the Watsons eStore has been set up! Woohoo!

The eStore will have the products sold in stores, and also some exclusive ones which are too bulky and typically not sold in physical stores. What are these? Head to http://www.watsons.com.sg to find out. Register and place an order, and you’ll also get a surprise gift throughout the month of March because it’s Watsons’ 27th anniversary! *You can pick up your purchase from selected ‘Click & Collect’ stores or get it delivered for free (min. $80 spending).

I won the items you see above because we were given tablets and told to select as many items as we want in under a minute, within a S$100 budget. The blogger whose shopping cart bill came closest to S$100 wins everything in his/her cart. And I won! My ‘bill’ was S$98.10 and I honestly don’t know how I did it. I simply picked some Sally Hansen items I have been wanting to buy and a Revlon ColorStay Eyebrow Liner. I have fast fingers?! :)

~ GIVEAWAY ~

WIN the set of Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Effect Makeup OR the Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain lipstick:

Step 1: ‘Like’ my Revlon giveaway on Facebook

Step 2: ‘Share’ my Revlon giveaway on Facebook

Step 3: Comment on THIS blogpost and tell me which item you want to win: PhotoReady OR Lipstick :D

It’s that simple. Giveaway ends 18 March 23:59hrs and is only for residents of Singapore.

I had a lunch appointment at Orchard Road yesterday and had some time to visit the SK-II #ChangeDestiny Museum at Paragon. It was the last day of the “museum”/exhibition, so if you’ve missed it, you’ll have to wait for their next event, I guess. :D I got to learn some new things about SK-II even though I have been a user of the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence for many years now. For instance, what does the “SK” in “SK-II” stand for? Make a guess, and I’ll reveal the answer in a bit.

Got a surprise when I spotted myself in their video (picture above) at the museum. I was one of a number of bloggers/SK-II users who were ‘interviewed’ at an event in the past. So yes, you might have seen “me” at Paragon recently. LOL!

And now… for the reveal:

The first bottle of Secret Key II Facial Treament Essence was launched in Japan on 21 December 1980. That’s even before I was born – I’m suitably impressed knowing this. :)

And that’s not all. I’m usually lazy about applying toner, or what SK-II calls their Facial Treatment Clear Lotion. So my very helpful (museum) guide did a demonstration on the back of my hands. The Clear Lotion was applied only to my right hand – it removes dead skin cells and helps with the absorption of other products. Then she dropped an equal amount of SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (FTE) on both hands, and the one which had toner applied beforehand quickly absorbed the FTE. However, without the toner, the FTE just stubbornly stayed on the surface of my left hand.

So yes, I am now convinced that I should always apply toner first, so any other (expensive) products I apply next will not go to waste.

SK-II also created many beautiful ‘experience corners’ for museum visitors to get acquainted with their products.

One of their products I don’t own (yet) is the Auractivator CC Cream:

A small amount was applied to my right hand (“a little goes a long way” according to my guide) and the result is pretty obvious. The skin on my left hand (without the CC cream) looks more yellowish.

The best part? This CC cream smells really good too, unlike the FTE which has no fragrance added to it. Be sure to grab a sample at any SK-II counter and try this product – I think you’ll like it. :)

What I’ll be doing next, over 2 weeks, is finding out which brand is better – SK-II or Sulwhasoo. I’ve long heard that Sulwhasoo is Korea’s answer to SK-II. And I have been gifted some Sulwhasoo products from a friend so I’ll be doing a little experiment. *I’m not paid by either company. So you can be assured of a very fair review. Stay tuned.

I’ve been having fun on a new social media platform (*new in Singapore, but rather established elsewhere). Head over to Migme and look for me (‘thegracetan’) :D I’ve recently been doing a series of posts about the National Flowers of various countries over on Mig and this blogpost is a summary of the posts that I’ve uploaded.

I’ve never quite understood why people spend hundreds of dollars on charm bracelets. Each charm can cost more than S$100, if you get them from a popular ‘P’ brand. (@_@)

I ordered some charms from Soufeel.com, together with a bracelet. As you can probably guess from the picture above, the two heart-shaped charms are my favorites. One is of the Singapore flag (not customized; they are sold on soufeel.com) and the other was made using a picture of me and my BF (customized for under USD10 when there was a promotion).

You can customize your own charms here for under USD20: http://www.soufeel.com/soufeel-charms/memorable-charms

As for the other charms, the wizard’s hat reminds me to never forget to look for the magic in everyday life. The pink charm is a birthstone (gem) charm. The fortune kitty is supposed to bring me good luck and prosperity – hehe. The aeroplane charm is a reminder of the wonders of travel, and to visit at least one new country every year. And the final one is a gift from Soufeel – not picked by me.

As for the bracelet, I bought it for S$5 from a stall at Bugis Village.

Go ahead and pick your own charms at Soufeel or design your own with a customized charm. Feel free to share your designs with me, and the story behind each charm, and I’ll be happy to feature them here. :)

I’ve found my new favorite fragrance in the Burberry Brit Sheer. It is a fruit floral fragrance with “top notes of yuzu, pineapple leaves, litchi, mandarin and grapes, middle notes of pink peony, peach blossom, nashi, and base notes of white musk and blond woods.” I bet you can tell it smells delicious just from reading this list of components, yes? :D And that’s not all it comes with! How about free delivery and super-low prices that even duty-free stores cannot beat?

~

[Giveaway at the end of this blogpost: WIN Burberry Brit Sheer and Brit Rhythm]

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Introducing EAURA.sg, which prides itself on being a “close-to-heart online beauty portal, delivering pocket friendly scents to all customers”. Also, repeat customers are rewarded in their loyalty programme (2% cash rebate for every dollar spent).

I tend to be skeptical of most marketing claims so I’ve compared E’AURA’s pricing across various online stores just to see if they indeed offer lower prices compared to other online retailers. Here’s the Burberry Brit Rhythm EDT (90ml) on TANGS estore:

It’s priced at S$130. [The same as on sg.burberry.com]

And since E’AURA claims to sell fragrances cheaper than at Duty Free shops, I did a comparison with Shilla Duty Free at ishopchangi.com. Will E’AURA be able to beat the Duty-Free online prices?

And that’s not all. You can even purchase the (brand new) tester sets from E’AURA at just S$45:

*What are tester sets? Those sets displayed at fragrance counters for you to ‘try out’ the scents. For some reason unknown to me, they are sold in many places, whether online or not. The packaging may not be as pretty as the non-testers but the fragrance is the exact same, so if you’re getting it for yourself, why not save some money and get a tester set? And since online stores don’t have physical counters for you to visit and try the perfumes, I guess they can sell those tester sets, right?

My take on the products from EAURA: The scents last as long as any regular EDT, they smell awesome (my bf thinks the Brit Rhythm smells better than the Davidoff Cool Water; which is saying a lot) and I like getting good deals when I make purchases. Who doesn’t?

And why are EAURA’s prices so low? I spoke with their co-founder, Shantel, and found that they want to serve more customers by keeping prices low. In Mandarin, this is called ‘薄利多销’ (“thin profit, vast sales”). And they are so confident about their products that they even offer a 100% money-back guarantee regarding product authenticity! On top of that, they have a loyalty program, a referral program, and a constant stream of promotions.

~

And, of course, I had to ask for a special promotion just for my readers! :D

WHAT? A discount on top of already-low prices?! YES, and you are welcome. :)

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Whether you are making a purchase right away or not, go sign up for a FREE account at E’AURA.sg now and you can get a complimentary perfume vial, while stocks last (no purchase needed; E’AURA will send you an email regarding the free vial).

While Absolute Slimming highly recommends that clients complete the 8 sessions in 1 month, Kirbie had to stretch them over 2 months because of work commitments. And she wasn’t able to follow their diet plans very strictly either – she’s kind of like me; we don’t say “no” to good food! :D And yet, despite not being their most obedient client, Kirbie has benefited from Absolute Slimming’s expertise in body shaping and toning. And at the end of her review, you’ll also find two testimonials from Absolute Slimming’s clients. Read on…]

It’s Kirbie again! :D I jumped at the chance of reviewing an 8-session program at Absolute Slimming and now, it’s time for my review after the 8 sessions with, of course, my results.

I’d like to state upfront that there are just two things about this program that made me feel slightly uncomfortable, but if you can overcome them, then you should go ahead and try the sessions:

1) Level of Pain

The treatments involve guasha (scraping) and cupping. My pain threshold is pretty low, so the guasha gets unbearable at times. Sometimes I will get bruises that can last for 2 to 3 days.

You can ask your therapist to reduce the amount of strength applied if you really cannot bear the pain, but I think it is probably supposed to be good pain. No pain, no gain right?

I went to one of the sessions with a slight backache and after the guasha, that back pain disappeared. It’s pretty amazing stuff!

Cupping, on the other hand, involves a mini suction tool (different from the big, dome-shaped transparent ones that we see with baguan). It sometimes stings a little as the tool will stick itself onto the skin with just a small amount of pressure. The pain usually subsides in under a minute.

2) Cupping Marks

I was told that the marks left by the cupping has a correlation with the amount of toxins in the body. The toxins coagulate on the surface of your skin, which results in the cupping ‘marks’.

While I’m not too fond of them, the marks on my arms usually remain for less than a week. The marks on other parts of my body disappear the very next day. Thankfully, the marks on my arms can easily be concealed with short-sleeved clothing.

I was told that for most people, cupping marks generally fade away within 3 days. It really differs from person to person.

~

And now, here’s what I liked about the program :D

1) Comfort

I don’t know about you, but I have been to quite a few beauty salons which have made me feel very uncomfortable with how pushy their staff are – up till the point where I asked myself why I was paying good money to suffer!

At Absolute Slimming, it’s just the opposite:

Warm greetings: Each time I pull open the center’s sliding door, Irene and her staff would greet me cheerfully, without fail. It definitely helps put me at ease as I get ready for the treatments.

Soothing music: Relaxing instrumental music will be played throughout the session. Great way to unwind after a tiring day of work!

Excellent service: The cupping tools can sometimes fall off, and Irene or her staff have to come stick them on again. They attend to me promptly and I do feel quite loved there!

Safe and relaxed environment: I don’t follow the diet plan very strictly, and so there are days where I will lose only 200g-300g per session. Irene or her staff will set aside time to go through my current eating habits and point out areas for improvement which can lead to faster weight loss. It’s challenging – but it helps to know where you have gone right or wrong!

2) Sessions are the same every time

What I don’t like about other centers is that most of them will try to sell me a different treatment every time I visit.

Irene and her staff will occasionally educate me about how a different treatment will help for a different type of slimming, for example, spot reduction.

They never once tried to hard-sell me on any add-on products or services, which I am extremely grateful for. I mean, when customers want to buy we will willingly take out our wallets; there’s never a need to be pushy, right?

So I know exactly what to expect for the treatments, because it’s the same every time:

Step 1: Lie facedown on bed. Irene/staff will begin guasha on my arms, back and legs. They may concentrate guasha on spots that they think have more stubborn fats.

For me, Irene focused on my back as she told me about how the shape of my figure has been contoured by my ‘bra line’. Sounds a bit sad, but I am glad she told me I have such a problem with my body shape.

Step 2: Cupping begins. The cupping locations are exactly the same every time, which means Irene and her staff really know where the crucial acupoints are for the best slimming effects. I have read reviews for other centers in which customers complain about cupping positions shifting every time they visit. How can we trust those centers if this is the case? Do they put the cups wherever they like? Hmmm…

Step 3: Turn, lie face-up on bed. The guasha and cupping methods are repeated on the front for arms, legs and tummy. During the treatment, they will apply their homemade cream to reduce the friction. The cream is odorless; so I can safely go for dates after the treatments!

3) Simple diet plan

Diet is, of course, the killer in many slimming plans simply because we are in Singapore! The lure of good food is just irresistible, and I am no exception to the norm – I really love indulging my tastebuds!

Fortunately, the diet plan that Irene gave me is quite simple to follow. The general idea is not to avoid all my favorite foods, but to shrink my appetite so that I can exercise better portion control. This will prevent you from eating excessively and interfering with slimming treatments.

Some of the things I am allowed to eat:

Plain wholemeal bread. I like eating wholemeal bread, so this was great news. I’m allowed to eat 1-2 slices of wholemeal bread in the morning, and 1 slice during tea break, or whenever I am feeling extremely hungry.

Since one loaf of bread typically lasts a week, I bought different brands of wholemeal bread to ensure I don’t get sick of the taste. Sometimes I also bought walnut wholemeal breads for the extra crunch. To me, it is important that I vary the food options I have, as I am looking at a long-term diet and lifestyle change.

Fruits – I was advised to include more fruits in my diet. This was a little hard for me initially, and I ended up snacking on bread for supper (this is a no-no, by the way). The hardest part is getting through the first two days. After which my tummy did miraculously become smaller and I was able to achieve 80% satiety (or that ‘full’ feeling) with just a small meal.

For many customers, appetite reduction is a huge part of the treatment process, as it helps you to control your diet during the 1-month treatment.

HL Milk – 200ml packaging only. For both fruits and milk – it is advisable not to consume too much of either. As mentioned before, the idea is to give my stomach the chance to shrink quickly and significantly.

Healthy biscuits such as chia seeds biscuits. Thanks to Grace, who bought them for me in Malaysia! I don’t think they are available in Singapore. This is what the biscuits look like:

Meats and vegetables – It is all right to steam, stir-fry and add a little seasoning to your meat and vegetables. The only thing to avoid is, of course, fried food.

Although the diet seems pretty strict, it was not hard to follow as I brought a small electric lunch cooker along to work. I had some cheat days on weekends (of course, please cut down on cheat days if you’re really serious about paying money for their slimming treatments!), but Irene taught me how to make up for it by eating certain foods afterwards.

Also, I did ask if exercising is recommended and Irene suggested that I do only mild exercise such as climbing the stairs, as intense exercise will increase muscle mass and affect my net weight loss.

4) Sustainable results

I lost about 3kg and this weight loss was sustained throughout the 8 sessions. Not once did it rebound even though I did not follow the diet plan very strictly!

This is what I look like after close to a month from starting the sessions. There might not be a huge difference on camera, but my face and body shape is now slimmer and I do ‘feel’ the difference when I put on my clothes.

As with all other slimming plans, the amount of weight lost depends greatly on each individual. Some of Irene’s clients can lose up to 2 kg with just one session.

For best results, Irene’s advice is to go for treatments twice a week. That explains why my weight loss was so much slower – because I was busy and could only attend one session a week at times, and sometimes even none.

It was also during the holiday season! And I could have overeaten, well, a little (hehe). But I am still very happy that my weight loss can be maintained. Especially since I do not need to exercise!

I guess slimming down is actually more of a “mind-over-body” thing. Set a big enough goal and I am sure we can all achieve even more. With Absolute Slimming, I don’t feel that slimming is such a lonely journey and I can get advice from Irene any time I need it! This has been a wonderful chance for me to kick-start my slimming journey and get even more kilos off my weight.

Most of their clients are ladies, but Irene says their treatments work well on men too!

*If you choose to have your treatments on weekends, bear in mind that the place will be super crowded! You may also have to wait a little, as there are only 8 rooms available at Absolute Slimming. I prefer weekdays when the place is quieter and I can really relax.

Also, Absolute Slimming has a special gift for readers of this blog:

“Quote workingwithgrace at the point of purchase and get 10% off your first cupping package! For first-time customers only. Valid till 28 Feb 2015.” (check in-store for T&Cs)

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.Testimonials from 2 more clients of Absolute Slimming:

Serene, 41

“As an overweight mother of three kids, my confidence was so low that I would only wear comfort jeans and baggy shirts that covered my body shape, especially my stomach. After 12 sessions with Absolute Slimming, and with disciplined eating on my part, I shed 6 kg of stubborn fats and lost inches around my waist and thighs.The toning was amazing! I’ve gone back to wearing figure-hugging clothes again, and both my husband and children have noticed the boost in my confidence ever since undergoing treatment.”

Michelle, 44

“I’ve been piling on weight recently and had hoped to slim down before Chinese New Year. Fortunately, I came to know of Absolute Slimming through a good friend of mine who had gone through the treatment herself and saw wonderful results. After going through 8 sessions of Absolute Slimming’s weight loss program, I have lost more than 5kg and went down by one dress size – and all within just 1 month! Since then, I’ve signed up for another 4 sessions to continue shedding weight.”

I usually ignore press releases because (1) in no way do they benefit me, and (2) my blog is not a public noticeboard – I do not copy and paste press releases onto this blog, so such emails always go into the trash. But this one from Gillette was simply mind-boggling. “Use Your And”?! Simi?!

I definitely think the campaign could have been named a different way, and given a hashtag that is easier to understand instantly. But if you watch the video, like I did, then you’ll finally understand what this campaign is about.

The Gillette Venus #UseYourAnd video:

Having said that, I still don’t see any link between this campaign and Gillette. And at the end of the video, it states “great legs”. Am I supposed to complete the sentence with “and…”?

*Anyway, what qualifies as “great legs”? Hairless legs?

The first two-thirds of the video are inspiring and all but the final third just (pathetically) tries to link it back to Gillette. Ha! I like that line “You are polished nails and a polished mind” (sounds good) but I won’t buy Gillette’s products anyway. [Daiso sells 3 for S$2 shavers *ahem*]

The comments left on this video are very interesting:

Gillette Venus, I think this video is good (at least the first two-thirds) AND I think you can do better next time! :P

I have a confession to make. I’ve been in the “holiday mood” since the start of December (or earlier). LOL! So while various brands have been sending me awesome products to review, I simply didn’t feel like reviewing them till it got dangerously close to the end of the month. That’s one of the drawbacks of being your own boss, I guess. :D

In any case, I have tried and tested these products from Cornell, Julie’s, SK-II and Pantene. And I have to say that I really wouldn’t mind getting them as Christmas presents, if I don’t already own them. Here goes…

1) Cornell’s Hello Kitty Touch Screen Kitchen Scale

It’s one of those fancy-schmancy kitchen scales ‘cos of its touch screen capabilities. Ha! But since it has Hello Kitty on it, it is awesome. And to be really honest with you, the only fault I could find with this scale is that the ON/OFF button and the TARE button are almost inseparable, so when you are hitting “TARE”, you might accidentally switch off the entire device if your fingers are not skinny enough. The Pros: it is just too cool (a Hello Kitty fan cannot ask for more), it weighs ingredients up to 5kg, and it’s easy to clean.

Also, now you know that one of those Twelve Cupcakes creations weighs about 60g. Yummy they are, but each is easily packed with over 200 calories (based on my online research) so watch out for that waistline. <- A reminder to myself. *I love the Chocolate Chocolate ones. The Strawberry Vanilla is too artificial-tasting for my liking.

Price of Weighing Scale: S$29.90 at all major electronics stores. The usual price is S$39.90 but it’s on promotion now due to the celebration of Hello Kitty’s 40th Anniversary! Price of Cupcakes: 3 for S$9.

2) Julie’s Hershey’s Cookies

I love Julie’s biscuits, especially the Rich Tea Oat ones. And now, they have just become more awesome with a collaboration with Hershey’s. I was gifted with 4 products from their new range. Because I’ve been ill with a bad cold, my boyfriend became the (happy) lab rat for these cookies. His favorite: Chocolate Fudge Cookies (S$3.90). (I would pick those too, even without tasting them)

*He wishes the Waffles are more crispy*

Get a box of Julie’s Hershey’s cookies at your nearest supermarket! :)

3) SK-II Facial Treatment Milk

I attended SK-II’s Festive Party last weekend and was given a number of goodies. Among them is the Facial Treatment Milk, which I’ve never heard of before.

The Facial Treatment Milk smells nicer than the Facial Treatment Essence. The consistency reminds me of the Cellumination Essence. It feels just a little bit sticky after application, but leave it on overnight and it’ll get absorbed into your skin by the time you wake up.

4) Pantene BB Creme for Hair & Hair Strength Tonic

Both these products can be left on your hair without the need for a rinse, so it’s really convenient for busy folks who still want great hair.

I don’t know why they named it BB creme for hair, beyond the fact that it makes people go “Wait a minute… BB creme for HAIR?!” I use this product to tame frizz and I suppose it does add a little shine though my hair is short now so I can’t tell if it will also de-tangle hair, prevent split ends, etc. If you have long hair, you should give it a try.

As for the Hair Strength Tonic, well, it smells good and it supposedly “makes hair stronger for up to 98% less hair fall”. I’m definitely going to keep using this as the application is easy and like I said, it smells good. Even if it doesn’t give me 98% less hair fall, I’ll take it as perfume for my hair. :D

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Christmas is just around the corner, so… in case I don’t have another blogpost up before Christmas Day, I’d like to wish you a Merry Christmas now! :D And if you are still shopping for presents, hopefully this blogpost is of help. :)

I bet you have heard about blogging Queen, Xiaxue, almost getting into a legal tussle with a slimming centre because she had blogged about how their gua sha (scraping) and ba guan (cupping) treatments were painful and ultimately did not result in any significant weight loss for her.

I was told that the founders of that particular slimming company are, supposedly, ex-clients of Absolute Slimming, and had set up shop and tried to replicate what they experienced during their slimming treatments there.

Without prior knowledge of acupoints and how they work, just randomly sticking suction cups onto your clients will not result in weight loss, as it’s just ultimately guesswork. Perhaps, if you cover your client’s body entirely in ba guan cups, you might get lucky and hit the right spots. But like Xiaxue mentioned, your client will look like a “tentacle” due to the many round bruises.

I had the opportunity to speak with Irene Chye, founder of Absolute Slimming, to find out why customers have almost nothing but praise for the business she founded in 2002 and has been managing since, what she thinks about clients or staff setting up businesses to rival hers, and why her treatments work when similar-looking ones have failed.

1) How did you get started with using gua sha and ba guan to help people achieve weight loss?

About 12 years ago, when I was still a housewife, single, and raising three kids, I became interested in the idea of TCM-based slimming. After learning the basics of acupoints from a friend in China, I experimented with using gua sha and cupping as a way to help people lose weight with no rebound. It was a lot of trial-and-error, but over time my knowledge of acupoints improved, and so did my customers’ results. Also, there are certain foods that cannot be consumed while the treatment is ongoing – and it took many years for me to identify them.

Over the course of one month, our cupping and gua sha treatments will speed up your metabolism, reduce your appetite and tone your problem areas, helping you to lose 4 to 6 kg in the process. During this one month, our customers will be required to follow a flexible diet plan which varies from individual to individual. Once we have stabilized the increase in your metabolism, you should be able to resume your normal diet after treatment without any rebound.

2) One thing that amazes me about your business is how you clearly state the prices for your treatments on your website. Why do you do this?

Before setting up this company, I actually went into a previous slimming business with a partner, and that business failed after about a year. There were some practices I did not agree with, so I ensured it did not happen again in Absolute Slimming.

My business partner at that time was happy to offer clients who looked like they are rich more expensive packages and fewer discounts. Similarly, my clients have shared with me that they have been to slimming centres with treatments that do not work, but the consultants will tell them that it’s all “stubborn fat” and that they have to upgrade their package to one of a higher price, and eventually they will find that those do not work too.

At Absolute Slimming, our policy is that we will never sell you treatments you don’t need. For example, most people require eight treatments over one month because that’s what it takes to ensure their weight loss does not rebound in the future. Anything more than that is just unnecessary. And for underweight customers who come to us looking to get rid of a specific problem area, we recommend only six treatments.

I’ve been told that I’m too honest to be a businesswoman, but I believe that as long as we conduct our business fairly, everything else will fall into place.

3) How long do these ba guan bruises usually last and why did Xiaxue’s last an usually long time?

Gua sha:

The bruises usually fade in about two hours. The gua sha done on Xiaxue was too vigorous and therefore those reddish marks quickly appeared after the ba guan was done.

Also, I use a special homemade cream for the ba guan. It is my own concoction so it is unlikely you can find a similar one elsewhere. Sure, you can buy these little ba guan cups online, but not this cream.

4) Having had clients who learn about what you do and set up businesses to rival yours, have you become less open to teaching your staff about what you know? Does this also mean you have to serve all clients yourself?

My business has expanded from being home-based to this current outlet in Holland Road Shopping Centre. Scaling up means that I need to teach my staff everything I know and have them serve clients alongside me. When I first found out about my ex-clients replicating my life work, I took it pretty badly. Because I had little formal education and I’m not an aggressive business person by nature, it just seemed like the odds were stacked against me. It took me a while to accept that as long as I was good at what I do, there will always be competition around the corner, and I’ve learnt not to take it personally. And even though there is competition, I must not hold back from providing quality training to my slimming therapists!

Moreover, in the last 12 years, I have refined my slimming technique to the point that my success rate is 99%, with no rebound. I am so confident about my results that I offer a money back guarantee – if you follow my program strictly but still do not lose weight, you will be eligible for our refund policy. I’ve been in business for over a decade and till today, only one customer has ever asked for a refund.

And because my satisfied clients often refer their friends to me, I am happy to give them a token of appreciation in the form of complimentary heat treatments (priced at S$90 each).

5) This gua sha & ba guan treatment has to go alongside a strict no-carbohydrates diet. What do YOU eat on a daily basis?

There are some people who are very lucky – no matter what they eat and how much they eat, they do not gain weight. Not me. Just like how milk causes some people to get diarrhoea, and how seafood causes some people to break out in rashes, rice causes extreme weight gain in some cases. It all depends on what type of food your body is sensitive to.

Unfortunately, my body is extremely sensitive to rice. Eating rice causes me to put on weight so I don’t eat very much of it – just the occasional fried rice meal and that is it.

For breakfast, I’ll have wholemeal bread, with perhaps some peanut butter. Lunch involves some vegetables and meat (I tell my clients to take two servings of vegetables and one serving of meat) and I eat almost the same thing for dinner.

I have a weakness for chocolates, biscuits and I love the green tea kitkats! :D But of course, I tell my clients that they must not eat these while on the program.

6) Give us an idea of what your clients can (or cannot) eat while undergoing treatment at Absolute Slimming.

Our diet plans are extremely flexible, even though some may consider it to be somewhat plain. During the 1 month of treatment, our clients are required to completely eliminate carbs from their diet, unless it is non-processed carbs we’re talking about (for example, wholemeal breads). Vegetables are great, except for a few with very high sugar content. Most fruits are fine, but it’s important to remember that because they have different caloric content, we prescribe different fruits to different customers based on their needs. We do not have a standardized diet plan as everyone’s physiologies are simply different.

Some additional tips:

Make sure that you only eat till you are 70% full for lunch and dinner. Our treatments help to shrink your appetite, and it is important that you avoid ‘over-expanding’ your stomach during treatment.

Buy a weighing scale. The progress you make will serve as motivation for you.

~

Irene offered to let me try this program and I passed on the opportunity to my guest writer, Kirbie instead. She’s preparing for her upcoming ROM ceremony and will be a more obedient client for Irene. (I have a weakness for chocolate too)

Here’s Kirbie, before her first session at Absolute Slimming:

Also, this allows me to give an objective take on whether Kirbie looks like she has lost some weight. If I’m on this diet, I might try to convince myself that my clothes feel looser even when they are not, simply because I would have gone through all the diet-related sacrifices.

Thus, my next post on Absolute Slimming will be a guest article from Kirbie. Stay tuned! :D